“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:14-17

The account of the brass serpent which Moses lifted up on a pole is recorded in Numbers 21:4-9. The people of Israel had become discouraged along the way in the wilderness. They spoke against both God and Moses, questioning why they had been brought into such a desolate land where there was neither food nor water. They had grown tired of the manna God provided them each day. Because of their lack of faith and complaining words, the LORD God sent fiery serpents among the people to bite them, and many of the people died.

Then the people acknowledged their sin and asked Moses to pray to the LORD that He would remove the serpents from them. Instead of removing all the serpents, God commanded Moses to make a fiery serpent and lift it up on a pole so that anyone bitten by one of the poisonous serpents could look up at the serpent on the pole and live. As God commanded, Moses made a serpent of brass, lifted it up and mounted it on a pole. And anyone who was bitten by one of the fiery serpents, if he in faith looked at the brass serpent, lived.

In the same way as the children of Israel, we, because of our sinful and unbelieving hearts, fail to trust in the LORD God and walk in His ways. We grumble and complain about His commandments and about the troubles and difficulties which He permits to arise in our lives. Like Adam and Eve, who failed to trust in the word of the LORD and ate of the tree of which God had commanded them not to eat, we fail to trust in the word of the LORD and so often think we know better than God what is good for us.

When God says, “Thou shall not,” we question His goodness and wisdom and do those things He says not to do. When He tells us what He would have us do, again we think we know better and do what pleases us instead.

As God did not immediately remove the fiery serpents from among His people, so He has not removed from us the consequences of our sin and disobedience. Like Adam and Eve, we must suffer sorrow and hardship in this life and finally die. But though our lives here in this world may be filled with pain and sorrow, God has provided a way for us to live and not suffer eternal death and damnation.

God promised to Adam and Eve the Seed of the woman who would crush the serpent’s head and save them (cf. Gen. 3:15). As Moses lifted up a brass serpent in the wilderness that all who looked to it could live, so God sent His only begotten Son into the world – the Seed of the woman, Jesus, Son of God and Son of man – and He was lifted up on the cross, crucified and condemned for the sins of the whole world, that we might look to Him in faith and live eternally.

Though we have all been bitten by the old evil serpent and have the poison of sin flowing through our hearts and veins, God in His great love for all mankind sent His only begotten Son into the world, not to condemn us for our sin, but to fulfill all righteousness and to bear our punishment and save us from eternal death and damnation.

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness and as those who looked toward it in faith lived, so also sinners today can look to Christ Jesus, who was lifted up and crucified for the sins of all and is risen again in victory; and those who look to Jesus in faith will not die eternally but live and have everlasting life!

Dear Jesus, I have sinned and turned aside from loving, trusting and honoring You with my life. Do not deal with me as I deserve on account of my sin but have mercy upon me. I look to You and Your cross for salvation. Forgive my sin, cleanse my heart and grant me life eternal with You in Your everlasting kingdom. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

51 “I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever; and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” 52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 Then Jesus said unto them, “Verily, verily I say unto you, unless ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the Last Day. 55 For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood dwelleth in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me. 58 This is that Bread which came down from Heaven, not as your fathers ate manna and are dead; he that eateth of this Bread shall live for ever.” 59 These things said He in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. John 6:51-59 (Read John 6:16-59)

How can one eat Jesus’ flesh and drink His blood? The Jews did not grasp Jesus’ meaning, nor do many in our day.

Jesus is not indicating that Christianity is some kind of cult in which the faithful literally eat human flesh and drink human blood. Even in the Lord’s Supper, participants do not chew Jesus’ flesh and drink and digest His blood. Rather, as they partake of the bread and wine, they partake of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for the sins of all the world – of His body given into death for our sins and His blood shed for the remission of our sins.

But Jesus’ words in John 6:51-59 are not a specific reference to the Supper Jesus later commanded His followers to observe in remembrance of Him and His innocent sufferings and death on their behalf. The Lord’s Supper had not yet been instituted when Jesus spoke these words. And, if He were referring specifically to partaking of the Lord’s Supper, then those not able to partake of Christ’s Supper, regardless of the reason, could not be saved and have life in them because Jesus said, in verse 53: “Verily, verily I say unto you, unless ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.”

Rather, Jesus here refers to partaking of His body and blood by faith. The children of Israel ate of the manna from heaven and yet died. Those who partake of Jesus’ body and blood – of His sacrifice for the sins of the world – by faith in Him have eternal life and Jesus will raise them up on the Last Day!

Jesus says in no uncertain words, “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink” (John 6:55 translated literally from the Greek).

The one who partakes of Jesus, the Bread of Life, by faith – trusting in Christ Jesus who gave His body into death for our sins and shed His blood upon the cross to make atonement for all our iniquities – has forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. It is as Jesus said in verses 56-57: “He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood dwelleth in Me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.”

People look to Jesus for earthly bread. They come to Him in hopes that He will provide them with all their earthly wants and desires. But few recognize that Jesus came into this world to provide us with heavenly food – with food which nourishes our souls unto life eternal.

Jesus came into this world to fulfill the righteous demands of God’s law for us. And He came to be our sacrifice for sin – to offer up Himself on the cross as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). He gave His body into death upon the cross in full payment for your sins and my sins. He shed His blood upon the cross as our sacrifice for sin and made full atonement for us and all the world before the very throne of God.

The question is this: Do you partake of Him? Do you trust in His holy life and His innocent sufferings and death for the forgiveness of all your sins? If you do not partake of Jesus, you can have no life in you; you are eternally lost and condemned. If you do, through faith, partake of His flesh and blood, you have the forgiveness Jesus won for you when He gave His body into death and shed His holy and precious blood to make atonement for your sins and redeem you.

When we, in this way, eat His flesh and drink His blood, Jesus dwells in us – not in the sense that He enters our mouth and passes through our digestive system, but in the sense that He comes into us and gives us life in fellowship with the Father.

Paul Kretzmann, in his Popular Commentary, says this in regard to Jesus’ words: “They all thought of physical, sensual eating and partaking. Jesus, therefore, summarizes the lessons which He wishes to convey once more. He tells them that it is indeed essential for everyone that wishes to have eternal life that he eat His flesh and drink His blood. It is necessary for every believer to receive Jesus altogether by faith, in His full work of atonement, active and passive obedience, shedding of blood, and all. By doing so, the believer has the assurance of eternal life and will rise on the last day to see the consummation of all glories. In this way, the body of Christ is the true food and His blood the true drink. In this way, also, the wonderful union of Christ and the believers in Him is brought about. They receive Christ spiritually and are most intimately and inseparably united with Him. They dwell in the Savior and the Savior in them.”

It’s really as simple as John states in his first epistle (1 John 5:11-12): “And this is the record: that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life.”

If we partake of Jesus’ holy life and His bitter sufferings and death for all sin by placing our trust and confidence in Him, we have life. Jesus Himself comes to us, dwells in us by His Spirit, and gives us spiritual and eternal life in fellowship with the Father. If we do not partake of Jesus and His sacrifice – if we go it alone and on our own, so to speak – we remain dead in our sins and under the wrath and condemnation of God.

In John, chapter three, Jesus says it this way: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth in Him is not condemned; but He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (v. 16-18).

Those who believe and trust in Christ Jesus, the eternal Son of God made man, of flesh and blood, are saved and have life eternal because Christ gave His body and shed His blood for the remission of all sins. They partake of His body and blood and of the benefits Jesus won for them through faith.

On the other hand, those who do not trust in Christ’s body and blood given and shed for all mankind are condemned. Why? Because they reject the only way of salvation God has provided for them – in His Son!

Jesus said in John 6:51: “I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever; and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

Jesus gave His life for you. His body was nailed to the cross to suffer for your sins and mine. He shed His blood for you when He made atonement for the sins of the whole world. His flesh is food indeed and His blood is drink indeed to nourish our souls and to give to all who partake of Him through faith everlasting life!

God grant you to partake of Jesus, the Bread of Life, and to drink of His blood shed for the remission of your sins through faith in Him! Then, you will have true life – life eternal!

O merciful Father, grant us faith in Messiah Jesus, the Son. Grant that we eat His flesh and drink His blood through faith, trusting in His atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the 21st Century King James Version (KJ21) Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.]

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

It is said that, when the Betty Crocker company first came out with cake mixes and all one had to do was add water, the mixes didn’t sell very well. Market research revealed that people wanted to be involved in producing the cake. So the company changed the recipe and required the customer to add an egg to the mix. Then the product sold like wildfire.

Satan’s most effective weapon is whispering into the sinner’s ear, “You need to do something for your salvation.” When the sinner hears that all is done – that Christ Jesus did it all by His holy life and innocent sufferings and death and God’s gift is complete – Satan says, “It’s too easy; you need to do your part.”

And sinners concur. They want to produce their cake of salvation from scratch, using the ingredients of their own works. Or, they desire at least to add an egg or two of their own efforts into the mix.

Salvation that requires no work whatsoever on their part just doesn’t appeal.

Of course, Satan forgets to mention that the cake of salvation the sinner tries to bake can only turn out to be a flop – one that will give stomachaches when sins trouble us and when death draws near, and one that will be burnt in the oven of God’s judgment on the Last Day!

When it comes to salvation, there is nothing sinners can add to what Christ has done!

“It is finished,” Jesus said, as He suffered and died upon the cross for the sins of the world (John 19:30). All was done! Atonement was made! Our redemption was accomplished! Salvation was purchased for all with Christ’s shed blood!

Because all is already done, the Bible tells us that whoever believes and trusts in the finished redemption of Christ Jesus has full pardon and forgiveness for all his sins and will not perish in God’s judgment, but has, as God’s Word says, “everlasting life.”

May God grant us faith to simply receive the finished salvation won for us by our Savior, Jesus Christ.

[21st Century King James Version (KJ21), Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.]

“Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” Ephesians 5:11 (Read Eph. 5:1-16)

Walking as children of the light includes calling sin what it is, sin, and exposing and reproving error for what it is, a lie and deception of the devil.

God, in His grace and mercy, has shined upon us with the light of His Word and has opened our eyes through the Holy Scriptures that we might see our utter sinfulness and see that, in Christ Jesus and for the sake of His holy life and innocent sufferings and death on the cross in our stead, God reaches out to us in mercy and with forgiveness and offers to us a place in His everlasting kingdom.

As children of light, acknowledging our sins and errors and trusting in Christ Jesus and His cross for mercy and forgiveness (cf. 1 John 1:5-10), should we then walk in darkness and continue on in the sinful ways of this world?

St. Paul admonishes us: “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience” (Eph. 5:3-6).

The Scriptures admonish us, as children of the light who have come to a knowledge of the truth, to walk in the light of God’s Word and continue trusting in our crucified and risen Savior. We agree with God about our sinfulness and the punishment we justly deserve, but we trust in Christ and His atoning sacrifice on the cross for pardon, forgiveness, and fellowship with the LORD God. And, rather than joining together in the unfruitful works of darkness, we are called upon to expose and reprove these works for what they are – lies of the old evil foe, the devil, and disobedience to God’s commandments leading to eternal death and damnation!

This has application in every aspect of our lives, and in our congregation and church, as well. Rather than joining together in any of the ways of the world, and rather than joining together and fellowshipping with churches that espouse and hold to false doctrine and sin – anything that is not of the truth revealed in God’s unerring Word – we are admonished to expose and reprove sin and error that those who are deceived might come to see the truth and repent, looking in faith to Christ Jesus for mercy.

We too, as believers, examine ourselves in the light of God’s Word, acknowledge and confess all that is of the darkness and turn to Jesus, the Light of the World, and receive forgiveness and cleansing through His blood, shed upon the cross for the sins of all (1 John 1:5 – 2:2).

Dearest Lord Jesus, we thank You for granting us Your Spirit and opening our eyes that we might see our sin and guilt before God but also see and know His mercy and forgiveness toward us for the sake of Your atoning sacrifice for us on the cross. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

The Bible answers that question for us when it says: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Gen. 1:26-27).

It further explains how the first man was created in Genesis 2:7: “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

Of the creation of woman, God’s Word says: “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (Genesis 2:18-25).

The first man and woman were created in the image of God, with His likeness. This does not mean they looked like God, for God is a spirit. It means they were like God in that they knew God and His will and gladly and willingly lived for God in accord with His will and purpose in creating them (cf. Colossians 3:10; Ephesians 4:24; Ephesians 2:10). They knew God, loved Him, trusted Him and were of one heart and mind with Him in their thoughts, desires, words and deeds.

We learn from the Scriptures that God formed the body of Adam (man) from the dust of the ground and breathed life into him, making Adam a living soul. He was given life, both physical and spiritual. He was made alive to God.

We learn that the first woman was created from the first man and for the man to be a helper and companion to him who was like him and fitting for him. She was indeed flesh of his flesh.

Though many in our time would deny it, this is also the reason for marriage between a man and a woman. God created the woman for the man, brought her to the man and the two became one flesh. Any sexual union outside of marriage between a man and a woman is contrary to God’s purpose and design in creation.

Though we may think we exist only as the natural result of the sexual union between a man and a woman, the Scriptures teach us that we are no accident. God created each of us in the womb of our mother and gave us life. Not only did He bless man and woman with the ability to have children (Genesis 1:28), He creates and forms each of us in our mother’s womb.

The Bible says: “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:13-16).